Dead Men’s Bones
Filled With Joy and Peace

Scripture Reading: Romans 15:7-12

Key Verse: Romans 15:13 NLT

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I don’t know about you but I really like the theme of our printed key verse for today: God will fill us completely with joy and peace.  That is truly the longing of every living and breathing person.  It doesn’t matter whether a person is a Christ follower or not, we all want joy and peace.  The only difference in us humans is not found in “what” we want, but “where” we look to find it!

Our Bible verse for today is telling us that God is the source of hope.  It is He who can truly fill us with joy and peace.  All the other sources, which some people run to, end up disappointing and empty of lasting hope!  This wonderful verse gives us the key to God’s hope: “Because you trust Him.”  There is the answer: With trust in God we can enjoy joy and peace!  Without trust in Him we live with an anxious spirit rather than a heart full of joy and peace!

If you are thinking, “I just can’t trust Him the way I should,” congratulations.  You have stumbled on a second critical step in this process: “the power of the Holy Spirit.”  We are not left alone to figure all this out.  Ask the Holy Spirit, who lives in you, to help you trust God more!  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you fight discouragement and live full of joy and peace!

Father, may your Holy Spirit consume me—every corner of my heart and life today—so I can live in trust in you!  In Jesus’ name, amen.